You may be thinking, “Glamnetics press ons? Press ons in general? Really? You?”
I don’t blame you. They’re out of character. They’re not something I’d normally go for. A freak set of circumstances led me to try them, so here’s what I think.
First: if you’re new here, I like doing my own nails. I do DIY gel polish or overlay manicures. Lately, I’ve done them less often because I’ve needed to prioritize my time in other ways (though I’m getting back into doing my nails because I feel better with them done).
I don’t use glue-on or press-on nails. In fact, the last time I used press-ons was when I was a literal child. The closest I’ve come to a false tip is Gel-X, which I tried once and ultimately deemed not for me.
So, as I am now a thirty-something, suffice it to say, press-ons have evolved. Glamnetics Press Ons kit is cute enough, and I was pleasantly surprised. For only ~$7, they featured:
- a short, approachable length suitable for folks who need to do things with their hands, vs gazing at them in admiration.
- adhesive tabs pre-installed on the nails, so all you do is peel the backing and stick.
- prep supplies included in the package (small buffer and cuticle pusher).
- a fair (but not amazing) number of sizes.
What I Liked
The build quality of these is shockingly great. They’ve adopted a lot of modern concepts with the way they fabricated these – like having a nice, thin cuticle edge that lies flush, but a thicker, robust free edge. There’s a good apex to them. I’m pretty impressed, they feel a lot nicer and more durable (the nail itself) than they cost.
Using these is fast and really, really easy. You need no tools, skills, or talent. Start with washed hands and:
- Push back your cuticles with the included stick
- Find your sizes and have them laid out ahead of time
- Buff the surface of your nail plate
- Use the included wipe to cleanse and slightly dehydrate
- Peel off the backing from the nails, line them up, and apply firm pressure to the nail plate for 10 seconds per nail.
What Could be Better
Glamnetics Press Ons Don’t Last Long
Wear time left a lot to be desired for me. I’m not someone who avoids doing anything with my nails because I am not a decorative object, but I’m not hard on them, either. I type a lot due to the type of work I do, but I never type with my nails – I always use my actual fingertips, so I’m not jarring my nails constantly.
These held up okay, but started lifting and popping off immediately after my shower, 12 hours later. It was interesting that they didn’t lift *during* the shower, just after.
Sizing
Size availability in a pack is an issue with almost any artificial nail enhancement system, including gel strips. I had similar feedback with the (really excellent) Gel-X system. My feedback here is that, in my case, the nail plates of my ring and index fingers are about the same size. They need the same size nail. The pack only had enough for me to get either my index OR my ring finger right, and the other had to take a slightly off size. You can see that my index nail is too big.
Tip: If that happens to you, with fake nails go bigger. It’s better to be ever so slightly large, as long as you don’t have a massive overhang that will be lift city. You can also file to suit if needed.
If you go too small, it will be uncomfortable and want to pop up because the apex of a smaller nail will not suit a larger (real) one.
The other thing that strikes me is that if you have longer nail beds, these probably won’t be a great fit for you, length-wise. Mine are on the shorter side, and they were fine for me. They also won’t suit larger or wider nails. I didn’t take the largest thumb size, maybe the 2nd largest, and my hands are on the smaller side. For context, my ring finger is size 5, and my thumbs are a ring size 7 – that doesn’t translate exactly to nail sizes, of course, but it gives you an idea.
What These are Great For
Glamnetics Press On Nails are great for those situations where you need to be done up on short notice, or when it just will NOT work to DIY or make an appointment.
Say you’re invited out later that day. Or perhaps a surprise next-day presentation pops up (and you need tonight to prepare for it). Maybe you’re traveling for a wedding, and the timeline doesn’t work to do that. Or, lower note, you just learned you need to head out of town for a funeral.
These are great for – no thoughts, slap them on. It took maybe five minutes, tops. You could do it in the car if you’re a passenger, or on the subway, a train, or a plane.
But do know – they aren’t going to last. They aren’t going to hold up to a ton of handwashing or bathing. If you’re using these for a special occasion, especially one you may be in pictures for, I urge you to get a backup pack to keep with you so you have spares on hand. At $7, they’re cheap enough that doing so isn’t too painful.
The Bottom Line
Glamnetics Press Ons are a short-term solution that looks nice enough while they last. They won’t be long-term, and they aren’t a replacement for a “real” manicure, but they look nice enough for a press-on. At $7, I’d recommend it if you’re in a scenario like the one above.